============================ >Suikoden IV Old Book Guide< ============================ By Blazefeeler 6/9/2006 Contents~ ================ 1. Introduction ================ -A) History -B) Copyrights ================ 2. Old Books ================ -A) History and Information -B) Locations -C) Contents =============== 3. Credits =============== ================ 1. Introduction ================ Work began on this particular faq and guide around the date of 5/9/06. There has been a significant lack of credible information about Suikoden IV, history and timelines, recounts and bargain lists/rare finds. Hopefully by posting and submitting this some of the confusion will cease to be. There will be Spoilers in this guide, so ye have been warned. -A) History --------------------------- 5/9/2006-Work began on Suikoden IV Old Book Guide 6/9/2006-All books located at this time. 6/11/2006-Working on contents 6/14/2006-Submission -B) Copyrights -------------------------- This guide may not be posted in any other website other then Gamefaqs.com, or informational source without my approval. I will more then likely grant permission if you simply ask, and give credit where it is due. If you notice an error, or have found something not listed in this guide, please email me and I will correct the faqs and give credit where due. A LOT of effort went into this guide, and I would be most upset to see it used without consent, credit, or due notice. That being said. Spoilers abound. Ye have been warned, again! On with the faqs! =================== 2. Old Books =================== ----------------------------------- -A) History and Information ----------------------------------- Every Suikoden to date has made use of the Old Books to help the player obtain valuable information about the locale, history of a certain area or people, Shop rare-find lists, True Runes, hints of help for your gameplay, and other helpful information. To fully use and appreciate the Old Books in Suikoden IV, you must first recruit the Librarian, Tanya. Tanya can first be recruited into the fold after the Liberation events at Razril Island. Once she is recruited, she can be found in your HQ(ship) on the 4th floor all the way down the hall, last room on the right hand side as you enter from the Stairs or Elevator. She can smell Old Books a mile away, and will be more than glad to let you browse through them once you obtain them and go visit with her. -------------------- -B) Locations -------------------- Here are the locations of all of the Old Books. Some you will find can not be found or obtained until you recruit certain characters. Others may require you to use Treasure Hunting or being quite witty and observant. Here they are in detail..... Old Book Volume 1 -------------------------- Found by using the Treasure Hunting side quest, Map #2. You can find Treasure Map #2 in the Underground Path in Middleport during your recruitment of Warlock. The Map will be included in a chest you find there. Then the rest is up to you and Rene to find for yourselves. Keep in mind that Map Treasures are never random. The only thing that varies is where you will be digging for the item. The maps are always obtained in the same location, and always yield the same Treasures. Old Book Volume 2 ------------------------- You obtain this book as reward for defeating Basil 10 times at his tops mini-game. Please keep in mind that you must win ten times in a row, and then be sure to exit out and not continue to the 11th match. If you do so, and lose, the prize is gone and you must restart. Old Book Volume 3 ------------------------- This edition is found in the house on Nay Island-Nay Kobold Area, where you recruited Bartholomew. You can obtain it by simply opening the Treasure Chest it is contained in. Old Book Volume 4 ------------------------- (MISSABLE ITEM!!!) This book is a very missable item in most games. You only have one shot at obtaining it, and one shot only. During the course of your game, you will be incarcerated for a short time on Na-Nal Island in the prison cell you see just south of the Chief's House. During that time, you MUST move Hero IV around (Or his line of sight/camera angle) to find the chest in the cell. Once you do, open it and the Book is yours for the keeping. Old Book Volume 5 ------------------------- This book is obtained by the Mouse Catching Mini-Game in the Nay-Kobold area of Nay Island. You must win the mini-game on the Average/Slippery setting. Once you do so, the warehouse keeper will give you the Old Book as a reward. Old Book Volume 6 ------------------------- You can obtain this Old Book very easily by going to the Nay Island Inn. It will be located on the shelf near the inn-keeper counter area. Just search around a bit until you get the message and find the Book. Old Book Volume 7 ------------------------- This one can be a bit tricky to find also. You must journey to Illuya Island, where you recruit Izak, Kate, and Natalie. It can be found in a Treasure Chest in the destroyed area of the Plaza in which you recruit Izak. Just search around the different alleys and paths until you find it. Old Book Volume 8 ------------------------- This book will require you to go to the Middleport Underground Path again, where you recruited Warlock. It can be found in his study/workshop area on a bookshelf directly behind him. You can obtain it the first time you enter the tunnel and recruit Warlock. Old Book Volume 9 ------------------------- This book is one of the first you can obtain in the game. It is found in the Hall of Knights on Razril Island. You can't hardly miss it, really. Old Book Volume 10 --------------------------- This book is obtained by the Mouse Catching Mini-Game in the Nay-Kobold area of Nay Island. You must win the mini-game on the Large/Slippery setting. Once you do so, the warehouse keeper will give you the OldBook as a reward. --------------------------- -C) Contents --------------------------- Ah...at last we come to the heart of the matter. The contents. What would a book be without it's contents? A cardboard sandwich? You got it. This section will detail and list the contents of each book for you, and give you some idea on some of the most important aspects of the game. Here we are at last.... ---------------------------------------------------------- Old Book Volume 1-"Birth of Rune Cannons" ---------------------------------------------------------- "When Rune Cannons appeared, previous combat methods became entirely ineffective, and naval battles have never been the same since then." "Rune Cannons were first identified approximately 15 years ago. It is held that the fleet affiliated with Middleport possessed them. Even now, there is no way to obtain them except at Middleport." "Rune Magic is sealed into spheres called Rune Shells, and it's power is instantly magnified, then fired by passing it through a lens-like cannon. The larger Rune Shells are said to even have the power to destroy a ship with one single shot." "The components needed to construct Rune Shells are currently unknown." "There is even a theory that the material was summoned from another world by a wizard with extraordinary summoning spells." "At first glance, this theory seems nonsensical, but it is also true that reports of strange creatures appearing and attacking ships began to surface around this time." "It may mean that these two phenomena are somehow related." ---------------------------------------------------------- Old Book Volume 2-"Lives of Pirates" ---------------------------------------------------------- "The rods jutting out to the front and the back" "Due to their outlandish appearance, pirate ships came to be commonly called "Six Masts" and greatly feared." "Edgar The man called the Pirate King Lived on the sea, Died on the sea." "Brandeau The man who was once Edgar's partner. However, after Edgar's death, he changed greatly. He is feared as the man who invites death." "Kika A pirate who sails among the island nations. She has many allies, but also many enemies due to the fact that she is hostile towards Cray Trading Company. It is said that the thing she wears around her neck is Pirate King Edgar's second cervical vertebrae. It seems she is currently in pursuit of Brandeau." ---------------------------------------------------------- Old Book Volume 3-"Man-Hunting Incident" ---------------------------------------------------------- "A grievous incident that once occured on the border between the Scarlet Moon Empire and the Kooluk Empire will be recorded here." "Years of conflict lay between the Scarlet Moon Empire and the Kooluk Empire, and for a long time, they would carve away at each other's strength." "However, the Scarlet Moon Empire made a proposal, and both sides settled on a truce for an indefinite period of time." "Amidst this situation, there was a faction of nobles on the Scarlet Moon Side who could not suppress their raging blood." "They had gained distinction in the war against the Kooluk and it is said that they grew impatient with the truce. Soon, their agitation took the form of "hunting." "They attacked small villages along the border, one after another. It is said that when they did, they disguised themselves as Kooluk Troops." "Perhaps due to this, for a long time this series of incidents was percieved to be over border disputes." "Finally, having found out the true state of things, the tactitians of the Scarlet Moon Empire issued a warning, but they said, "This is in opposition against the Kooluk Army's sneak attacks," and did not listen." "During this time, a serious incident occurred where a subordinate of the tacticians used some kind of great power to murder the faction of nobles." "This tactician was banished immediately from the Scarlet Moon Empire." "However it is said that no more cases of man-hunting were reported after this incident." ---------------------------------------------------------- Old Book Volume 4-"Bargain List" ---------------------------------------------------------- "These are pretty much the bargains I've found so far." "Razril" Leather Armor Shin Guards Bangle Iron Helm Wristbands Thunder Rune Piece Water Amulet Unicorn Boots Warrior Bracers Venus Armor Hat of Wisdom Nay-Kobold Hat "Middleport" Fur Shoes Guard Robe Pointy Hat Needle Sash Scale Shield Noble's Shoes Spiked Heels Thunder God's Garb Dragon Helmet "Na-Nal Island" Pirate Armor Paw Gloves Gold Mask Noble's Hat Magic Ring "Kingdom of Obel" Master's Wristbands Battle Suit Paw Shoes Feather Robe Thunder God's Garb Pirate Bandana Flame Amulet Gale Bandana Venus Gloves Silk Hat Cat Mask Dragon Bone Armor "Do your best to find them! Later!!!" ---------------------------------------------------------- Old Book Volume 5-"Introduction to Trade" ---------------------------------------------------------- "Let's start by buying something at the trading post in town. That is the first step." "Next, let's try selling those goods in a different town. If the price is higher than when you bought it, the difference is your profit." "If the price when you bought it is higher, then you will take a loss. Try looking for a town somewhere else where you can sell it for more." "As you buy and sell, you will learn what is cheap and what is expensive in which towns." "Once you get this down, making money is a snap." "There's one more important point... Among the traded goods, there are some whose rank will go up if you repeatedly trade that item. Ores and clothes work this way." "Higher ranked goods will sell for higher prices, so your profits will also increase." "Now, with this, you are already a respectable merchant...." "A merchant in training, that is." ---------------------------------------------------------- Old Book Volume 6-"Easy way to make Defensive Equipment- (Armor Chapter)" ---------------------------------------------------------- "Defensive Equipment, such as armor, can be made by following these 3 steps:" "1. Collect Material: Primarily, this material is ore. Supplementary materials such as horns and scales are also sometimes used." "2. Go to a Smithy: Once you have all the material, hire the services of a smithy that can combine them for you. You cannot make it yourself. Hire a pro in the appropriate field." "3. Combining: At this point, you must be warned about the quality of the ore. The material may be the same, but depending on the ore's quality, the finished armor will differ. The attributes and price will differ greatly, so pay close attention to the ore quality." ---------------------------------------------------------- Old Book Volume 7-"Easy way to make Defensive Equipment- (Clothes Chapter)" ---------------------------------------------------------- "Now we will explain the 3 steps to having clothing tailored: " "1. Collect Material: Clothes are made out of cloth, such as linen and silk. Supplementary Material, such as feathers and seashells, are also sometimes used." "2. Go to a Tailor: After getting the materials, it's now time to have it made. Hire the services of a tailor." "3. Completion: At this point, you must be warned about the quality of the cloth. The material may be the same, but depending on the cloth's quality, the finished clothing will differ. Try various combinations." ---------------------------------------------------------- Old Book Volume 8-"About Accessories" ---------------------------------------------------------- "Do you think accessories are things to buy?" "The truth is..." "As long as you have the materials, you can actually have them made quite easily!" "If you try using pearl shells and scales as materials, you will end up with objects that are more beautiful than you might expect." "These materials are often obtained from the more dangerous creatures that lurk at sea and on land. Be careful when gathering materials!" "Do you know anyone who is skilled at making accessories?" "If you have these people make them for you, you'll be able to fill your life with all sorts of accessories!" "Give it a try!" ---------------------------------------------------------- Old Book Volume 9-"The El-Eal Battle" ---------------------------------------------------------- "The Kooluk Empire's expansion into the south commenced with the completion of a strong fort in El-Eal, the southernmost point of the nation, and the formation of three new fleets." "Feeling threatened by this, the Gaien Dukedom dispatched the Knights in Razril and the fleet affiliated with Middleport to El-Eal and launched a sneak attack." "However, this assault was foiled in no time at all by the counterattack launched by the 1st Kooluk Fleet, and the Gaien Dukedom Military was forced to withdraw." "After this, Kooluk forces invaded Middleport, stationing troops there. The Kooluk forces later left after Middleport agreed to establish itself as an independent city." "Presently, though Fort El-Eal is somewhat on the stagnant side, it is said that it is steadily making preparations to advance southward." ---------------------------------------------------------- Old Book Volume 10- "The Story of Creation" ---------------------------------------------------------- "The 27 True Runes are born." "First, there was Darkness. Darkness lived in the long, long chasm of time." "Having suffered for such a long time in loneliness, Darkness finally shed a Tear." "From the Tear, two brothers were born, They were Sword and Shield." "Sword proclaimed he could cut through everything, while Shield replied that he could not be wounded by anything." "Thus, they decided they would fight. The battle went on for 7 days and 7 nights." "Sword cut through Shield, and Shield shattered Sword." "The pieces of Sword rained down and became the sky. The pieces of Shield rained down and became the earth. The sparks from the battle became the stars." "Finally, the 27 jewels that had once adorned Sword and Shield became the 27 True Runes.... And thereupon arose the world." 3. Credits ======== -Thanks to Konami, for yet another excellent addition to the Suikoden Series. -Thanks to Gamefaqs and CJayC for providing posting of this faqs and the boards at Gamefaqs. (my home away from home) -Thanks to dksu, for providing Kristin and myself the contents of Old Book #2. More importantly, the tips of beating Basil in Tops with which we were finally able to dominate him with. -All of the posters at Gamefaqs, for which this guide is intended to help. -Thanks to my family for being so patient with me, and my hobbies. -My email should you wish to contact me about this guide, is kooptsk@hotmail.com